Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley told the Village Board on Tuesday night that he expects a proposal for a new commercial and residential development just outside the village, in Tuckahoe, likely will end up in a court battle.

In preparation for such an outcome, village officials will meet with planner Stanton Eckstut and Planning Commission Chairman Siamak Samii to draft a formal resolution outlining the board’s opposition to the project, dubbed “Tuckahoe Main Street” by its developer. The plan calls for the construction of a 40,000-square-foot King Kullen supermarket, a bank, possibly a drugstore, a coffee shop, a 5,000-square-foot free-standing restaurant, and another 50,000 square feet of various retail space and second-floor affordable housing along County Road 39.

Board members have said publicly that they oppose the project, worried that the new retail outlets will have a detrimental impact on the village’s business district. They also acknowledged on Tuesday that the public input they’ve collected has been overwhelmingly opposed.

At the suggestion of Village Trustee Nancy McGann, the administration is also interested in having a traffic study conducted in the area to bolster its opposition. At a Town Board work session attended by the entire Village Board last week, Ms. McGann told the project’s developer, Robert Morrow, that the project would “fracture” the Southampton community, damage village businesses and cause traffic problems in Tuckahoe.

“It’s only common sense,” Ms. McGann said Tuesday. “If you look all over this island, you see one strip mall that comes in and replaces another strip mall, and then one that’s originally there because it’s derelict. I don’t ever want to see something come into this community that takes away from our village.”

Following last week’s Town Board work session that the village took part in, Mr. Epley had asked Village Board members to talk to the public and relay people’s thoughts. The results came back overwhelmingly negative, according to Village Board members.

“They’re not just opposed to this project, but they’re opposed to, really, what happens long-term,” said Mr. Epley.

The mayor said he had received some positive commentary about the proposed strip mall, but he noted that it came from people in the construction trade, who, he said, viewed the project as an opportunity for more work.

“This can and will open the floodgates to big-box retail similar to Riverhead and lead to the demise of Main Street year-round life in the Village of Southampton,” stated a letter the village administration had sent to the town earlier this year.

If the town board votes for this a legal battle will be the least of their troubles. Support Mayor Epley in his fight. Stand up against Mr. Morrow and the misuse of PDDs. There is a petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ntototuckahoemainstreet/

Great blowback from Mark Epley! The promiscuous use of PDD zone changes to aid and abet development has got to be challenged. A question for the Town development-dizzy "planners' is: name us a PDD application you have denied?

There is also a Viewpoint this week by Anna T-Holst who has woken up and smelled the political stink surrounding this. A word to lablover. I am susupicious of email petitions sent to the Town - easily deleted and hard to keep track of: Paper is what they must ...morebe buried in so they cannot deny the opposition.

Phanex, I agree with you concerning most online petitions, however, when I have gathered enough signatures, this petition script allows me to print the names, comments and addresses of all respondents and I will then deliver these papers to the town clerk.

I have mixed feelings about this. All we need is more traffic especially since they made the speed limit 35mph on the highway. It would be nice to have a good supermarket because I hate to go to Waldbaums. Does anyone know where this will be built in Tuckahoe? Just curious if it's going to cause traffic jams.

I have read Supervisor Throne-Holst's viewpoint in today's Southampton Press and what I take away is that she simply does not get it. The Supervisor asserts that "just saying NO" to this proposal would, leave the community vulnerable to "another car dealership or the like." This is an old political ploy - a bait and switch, if you will (the very same tactic also used by the developers' lawyer at the Tuckahoe CAC meeting a few weeks back) - and completely irrelevant to this discussion.

Mr. ...moreMorrow is proposing a monstrous strip-mall in an area not zoned for that use and with NO benefit to this community and that is the issue. If the car lot comes next, so be it, we will fight that too, but let's not try to blur the focus.

Ms. Throne-Holst vows, "Rest assured, unless I have the community's clear support . . . I will not vote in favor of it." Ms. Supervisor, were you briefed on the Tuckahoe CAC meeting where the entire community in attendance and the entire CAC said, "we don't want this"? Have you read the comments on this site? Have you read the many letters to the editor in the SH Press written by people who vehemently oppose this mini-mall? I know you've received a number of emails opposing this project. Have you listened to village shop owners? Are you listening to the Mayor?

One thing is abundantly clear, you do not "have the community's clear support" and what we want is for you to "just say no." Anything less is simply unacceptable.

This project never should have been allowed to come this far in the first place and the fact that all five board members voted unanimously to move forward with consideration only means that the entire process is suspect.

Now that the Queen has spoken lets take the pacifer she's trying to stuff in our mouths and stick it in hers ...Bring on the dealership... it will be much more conducive to the traffic flow and the zoning that's already in place. It will also send a message to developers like Robert Morrow that campaign money won't always curry favor!

Its all about the potential tax revenue. Just look north and see what the Town of Riverhead has given up for the almighty tax dollar. This should be completely discounted as a public benefit. Remember this is the same town that opted to bury LIPA's lines for 12 million dollars and pay for it over twenty years. Hey if you can't just say no than just say exclude the residential properties involved and give us a super market alternative plus a few stores to make the numbers work. In simple terms just ...morehit a double instead of a grand slam.

Its all about the potential tax revenue. Just look north and see what the Town of Riverhead has given up for the almighty tax dollar. This should be completely discounted as a public benefit. Remember this is the same town that opted to bury LIPA's lines for 12 million dollars and pay for it over twenty years. Hey if you can't just say no than just say exclude the residential properties involved and give us a super market alternative plus a few stores to make the numbers work. In simple terms just ...morehit a double instead of a grand slam.

Mayor Epley may be sounding the alarm a bit prematurely. Don't go writing out that lawyer's retainer check until you really have reason to go to court, which isn't quite yet. On the other hand, it's probably not a bad idea to draw a line in the sand so the Town Board knows what it will be taking on if it should approve this project.

As thoughtful and apparently reasonable as Ms. Throne-Holst's Viewpoint piece in today's Press is, the observations made in the paper's editorial are more ...morepersuasive, because the editorial seems to have the overwhelming weight of public opinion behind it, and because it cuts to the chase, asking the Town Board, "Can you just say No to this guy?"

The Supervisor seems be saying that if we don't accept Bob Morrow's proposal as it is, we must try to craft something else. The Press seems to be saying, we don't have to do that, we can just reject it, and if and when Mr. Morrow or someone else comes up with something different, we'll look at that one at that time.

The people have said loud and clear that they don't want Tuckahoe Main Street. If Ms. Throne-Holst wants to wait and wring the last small cry of opposition out of the body politic before refusing this application, OK, but it seems like a waste of time and/or a Hail Mary pass for Bob Morrow, and he's not worth it.

First, I am an idiot and any other name people choose to call me for my last comment, it was an inappropriate word play and takes awayfrom the seriousness of the issue at hand. Apologies all around.

Second, Turkey Bridge, you assume I am a man? Are you sure? Can a woman not be opinionated? See how easy it is to say dumb things on the internet? I could be a churl, but I don't know what that is.

Third, my comment was born of frustration. I do not have $5000 or $50 to donate ...moreas a "campaign contribution", as special interest developers do. Lets face it, the money does and will influence how politicians vote and legislate. The common taxpayer is powerless, and this is a sad reflection of how things are today.

Good man, CommonSense, and I in turn withdraw my derogatory comments about you. Yes, I assumed you were a man, given the generic picture which I thought the site assigned when you first logged in, picked a screen name and checked M or F. I suppose one needn't give one's real gender, however.

You're right about the money, which is why real campaign finance reform will cure a lot of our ills. McCain-Feingold was a great start, but we need to go farther.

What part of "Outside the Village" doesn't the mayor get? The village board has no jurisdiction over what goes on outside their boundaries! This is a Southampton Town government issue, not the village!

I still have faith in this town. Maybe it's a little naive but I still have faith. BUT I WARN YOU! Do not trust certain organizations to help fight this... If it goes through certain people will sell their souls to make money.. As far as the village not having any say, Mark has plenty of constituents and neighbors who's land value will plumett as soon as this monstrosity is built...

Walt, to deflect serious concerns about the traffic impact on the dangerous CR 39 of this monstrous project, the developers stated that there are a lot of "feeder roads" leading to this mall - meaning routing a lot of traffic through a lot of residential areas in Southampton Village and Tuckahoe, where our children play. You need to think this issue through and realize this project has many consequences other than just lining the pockets of the developer and Queen Anna's campaign coffers ...morefor her run for Tim Bishop's Office later!

This is Town government at its most corrupt - dollars for favors inspite of total community opposition. "Throw dem bums out" starting with the Queen!

You want to make this about dems?! The only democrat on the board is Bridget Fleming (Holst is an independent) and she is the only one who did NOT receive a donation. The right-wing has owned this town for far too long so if you have a problem with corruption, you know where to look.

You neocons want to make everything about Tim Bishop and the dems. Your denial of facts and history is quite sickening, actually.

Observant, wasn't it you who on another article said, "Let's keep our eye on the ball - striving for . . . not petty, laughable small town politics for people with too much time on their hands! "

You need to follow your own advice. Additionally, as already pointed out by others, Supervisor Throne-Holst is NOT a democrat, but and independent. The only person who did not take a donation from Morrow was the only democrat on the board, Ms. Fleming.

Perhaps if you spent more time ...morereviewing the facts and less time "bellyaching" about Democrats then your input would be taken seriously.

Elliot is right; Southampton's special character must be preserved, which means no banalities like Tuckahoe Main Street. Obbservant is right, too, but when we start talking about "Town government at its most corrupt," let's remember that the lone Democrat on the Town Board, Bridget Fleming, is also the only member who did not receive a campaign contribution from developer Bob Morrow, who doesn't give money to Democrats. (I wonder why?) Let's aLso remember that this is far from the first time ...morethe dynamic in Southampton has looked and smelled like this. The Republican machine has been taking good care of its friends and supporters for decades, so if it's happening again, it's only another chapter in an old and sorry tale.

there is plenty of mall space just to the west; been vacant since they built it.

development like this will be an increased burden on our taxes; increase road manintenance required on those feeder roads / more police to patrol the area / more emergency care demand on the traffic accidents that will naturally exist ... and pretty good chance that the owner lives elsewhere and never has to deal with any his the issues he creates.

and then whent he Tuckahoe School across the street ...moredoes a larger development ... it will be very dangerous foot traffic as all the high schoolers hang out on the corner of Magee trying to cross 27 !!